San Francisco – Former California Department of Resources Secretary Huey Johnson joined with environmental leaders at San Francisco City Hall today to turn-in 15,800 petition signatures from San Francisco voters in order to qualify the Water Conservation and Yosemite Restoration Initiative for the November 2012 San Francisco ballot. The Department of Elections now has 30 days to review the signatures and verify that at least 9,702 of the signatures are from currently registered San Francisco voters.

“Over the last three months, more than 15,000 people signed this petition because they agree it’s time for San Francisco to take this long-overdue first step towards planning San Francisco’s water future,” said Former California Department of Resources Secretary Huey Johnson.

If approved by San Francisco voters, the Water Conservation and Yosemite Restoration Initiative will require the city to create a comprehensive plan to move San Francisco from last in the state to first in the nation in water sustainability and to allow Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to be restored. Before any actions could be taken, voters would have to vote to approve this plan in November 2016.

“The decision before San Francisco voters on this initiative this November is simple – if we waste less water we can save a national park,” said Mike Marshall, Campaign Director for the Yosemite Restoration Campaign. “This is an exciting day for San Francisco because enough people signed this petition to give the voters a chance to improve San Francisco’s water conservation and recycling and restore a valuable national park.”